Spiritual Sacrifice
by Moro-moro
Summary: There is no chance vs. choice in this world. Concequences are not arbitrary: the only thing is Hitsuzen. Once a choice is made, one can only wish that the end is not death.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This story was inspired by the song "How to Save a Life" by The Fray. It really has nothing to do with the story, but the feelings are the same. Hopelessness, sadness, the need and want to help, the desire to save the life that is most precious to you...s**__**ongs influence my writings a lot; this is where I pull my muse. There is some out of character-ness, sorry for that. This was written on a whim. **_

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**Spiritual Sacrifice:**

**Death in Choice (I Choose to Die, You Choose Not to Cry)**

"What do I need to pay?" Doumeki demanded in hushed tones as Yuuko walked out of Watanuki's room.

Yuuko shook her head. For once the witch looked sad and disheveled in a way one could not think possible.

"What do I need to pay!?"

"I can no longer help," Yuuko said softly. "There is no price you can pay no. He will be dead by sunrise. I… truly am sorry."

Doumeki stood, shocked. "No…. You've saved him before, when he fell!"

Yuuko shook her head. "Those were human wounds… These… these wounds are cursed, Doumeki." Yuuko looked back at the door to Watanuki's room, shaking her head. "You should go to him," she advised, walking off.

Doumeki reached forward with a shaking hand. Watanuki, dead? Because he… he couldn't… it was his fault…

_He could see the demon out of the eye he shared with Watanuki, and he couldn't move. This thing's spiritual aura crushed him. He couldn't move his arm to shoot his bow. How on earth could Watanuki move so fast?! _

_The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, and Watanuki was bleeding all over the playground grass. He scrambled forward, checking Watanuki's pale wrist for a pulse. It was barely there. "Watanuki! Watanuki!" Doumeki looked at the boy, who was battered, and had gashes all over his body. It was far worse than when he fell from the second story window, because these wounds faintly smelled of decay and gunpowder. _

"_Kimihiro!" Doumeki called in desperation. Watanuki finally opened his eyes. "Who gave you permission to use my name?" he asked, coughing up blood as he spoke. A slight blush betrayed his irritation. Doumeki could see himself, bruised, dirty, and covered in Watanuki's blood. He closed his right eye, wishing not to see himself so frantic. "We have to get you to Yuuko's… she'll help you…" _

_Doumeki carefully pulled Watanuki up into his arms, and ran. _

Doumeki pushed the door back. Watanuki was sitting up in the bed, coughing heavily.

Moro and Maru were trying to clean the blood off of his frame, fretting heavily over him. Mokona even held a rag itself.

Doumeki walked forward and gently took the rags from the soulless girls, taking the job silently. "What did Mistress say?" they asked softly. Even Watanuki looked at him.

"She…says that…no wish… will fix this… That the wounds are cursed, and… that… Watanuki will not live…" Doumeki choked out, feeling his throat tighten and his eyes burn.

Moro and Maru burst into tears. Watanuki was unreadable for the longest time. Instead of expressing whatever he felt, he gently pulled the two girls into a hug. He too, had grown attached to them.

Mokona frowned, the expression looking very odd on the creature. "You will be missed, Watanuki."

Watanuki looked sadly at the manju-bun like creature.

Eventually, Maru and Moro fell asleep, and Watanuki arranged himself to look at Doumeki, who had been bandaging his gashes, silent the entire time.

Watanuki reached out and took the rags and bandages from Doumeki, his thin fingers brushing against Doumeki's face. "There's no need. They've stopped bleeding."

"I want to."

"Doumeki… I'm sorry."

"You should be!" Doumeki exclaimed, clenching his fists. He refused to look at Watanuki. He knew the boy would be wearing that sad, fragile expression he wore so often. He didn't want it directed at him. No… it made his heart hurt in ways that shouldn't be. "It's your fault… I could have defeated that thing."

"You couldn't have… It's okay, Doumeki." Watanuki reached out and gently pressed his slim hand to the other boy's cheek.

"No it's not. You're going to die. It's not okay!"

"I made a choice, Doumeki," the injured boy said wearily. "I was not surprised. I've kind of always wondered if it would be a demon who killed me, that or sheer exhaustion of working for Yuuko-san!" he joked.

"It's not something to laugh about."

"Callous as usual? The great Watanuki-sama is opening up to you, Doumeki. You should take advantage of it. It's never going to happen again." As the words left Watanuki's lips, it suddenly hit the boy that he was really dying… he would never see anyone again. He began to cry. He collapsed against the strong frame of his begrudgingly earned friend, sobbing.

Doumeki wrapped his arms around Watanuki's thin frame, willing himself not to cry. He would only cry after his friend was dead.

Doumeki stole a glance at the clock on the wall. One in the morning… Gently, he gave into his emotions and held the slighter boy close. Watanuki dug his fingers into Doumeki's shirt, hiccupping.

When Watanuki finally calmed, he seemed at peace. He ran a hand through his hair, sadly looking at Doumeki. "As much as I hate to say it… I'm going to miss you…"

Doumeki nodded. "Yeah…"

Watanuki looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the other boy's, kissing him feverishly. Doumeki blinked in surprise, but found himself easily kissing back, his arms falling around Watanuki's waist. Watanuki twisted his fingers into Doumeki's short hair, briefly kissing him harder, then pulled back, leaving only millimeters between them.

Watanuki smiled, blushing as he laid his forehead against Doumeki's. "See, I wanted to do that before I died."

"I'm glad you did, Watanuki."

"Kimihiro," the boy instructed. "May I call you Shizuka?"

Doumeki gave a nod. "Yeah…"

The short hours until sunrise were spent talking and kissing. Slowly, Watanuki became less and less well.

It was five-forty-five in the morning, and Watanuki was finding it hard to breathe.

Doumeki slowly pressed a rag to the boy's sweating forehead, finding himself watched by Yuuko and the soulless girls. His hands were trembling again.

Yuuko stepped forward, a small glass in her hand. It was whisky of some sort. "Watanuki, drink this… it will dull your senses."

Watanuki reached a hand out. It was trembling horrendously. He dropped it, not having the strength to keep the motion up.

Doumeki took the cup and put it to Watanuki's lips, which were turning blue.

The boy drank. "Thank you, Yuuko-san," he rasped.

Yuuko smiled kindly. "I am sorry, Watanuki-kun. I should not have sent you on that mission… I only wish I could grant Doumeki's wish."

Watanuki shook his head. "It's fine," he mumbled before breaking into a fit of heavy coughing.

A few rays of sunlight fell into the room, and Watanuki coughed harder, blood spraying across his hands and onto the sheets.

He collapsed backwards, his breath failing. "I will haunt you Shizuka," he mumbled, feeling himself fade into blackness as the sun rose completely over the horizon.

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**_A/N: If you all are good, I have an alternate ending, an epilogue, written. :waves around a disk: Soooooooo... :smirks evily: You just have to pay the price... REVIEW!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I could have left it as a one shot. I could have just left it that way. But no, I supply a happy ending because the great Moro -sama is a pushover! (That, and the fact I'd kill myself if I left this story like that. I love Watanuki and Doumeki too much.) This chapter is a bit… um… sappy? Crappy, maybe? (Heh, that rhymed!) It is three in the morning. Originally, this was in two parts, but I decided to post them as one. Because, well... it just works better that way, I guess. Thanks to those who reviewed! **_

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**Spiritual Sacrifice Epilogue, Part One and Two:**

**One: Rebirth in Tangibility (I Couldn't Stand the Tears and Hurting Those Who I Loved) **

It's dark… and I can't breathe… But that's fine; I have the feeling that I don't need to. Suddenly I am aware of sobs… The cries of someone who has lost something precious… they sound inconsolable… It makes my heart twinge and stop beating… If it was beating in the first place…it feels as if it isn't.

I have this overwhelming instinct that I'm dead. As soon as I realize I am, memories come rushing back.

I am dead… and there are spirits all around me, grey and transparent. The do not notice me. I am standing in a rushing river of frigid water. This must be the River Styx.

I hear children cry now…and a female give a soft utterance of tears as well…

They sound so familiar… Why? Who do I know that would cry? … Them! I must… They needn't cry for me!

I rub my eyes, and a room comes to focus. I'm not there; I'm seeing it like it's a movie, playing on a scratchy reel.

I see myself, laying pale and bleeding on a bed… My newly gained and lost Shizuka, crying… I want to hold him now… Maru and Moro were sobbing, this time more hopelessly; last time, they almost believed that Yuuko could fix it… Speaking of:

Yuuko… Yuuko-san… That woman; I have never seen give any strong emotion at all… was crying also…

I wish!

I wish I could come back to life! Not as myself, because I know there is no bringing back the dead, and not as a spirit; they need not to tread earthen grounds, I know. But I wish with all my might that they could see me again, and quit hurting. Seeing Yuuko cry is just too weird... and Shizuka... that's breaking my heart.

I suddenly find myself becoming solid, my body filling itself out… I push myself back into the bad movie, feeling myself materialize, much like that Ame-warashi dissipated as part of the rain, into the room…

Yuuko is the first to see me… she smiles her mysterious smile, eyes still damp and she shakes her head as if she knew I would somehow return. She taps Shizuka's shoulder, and suddenly, our eye is reversed. I am dressed in robes of pale gold and blue, my glasses are gone, but otherwise I am still myself… how odd… _What_ am I?

Everyone comes to hug me, Shizuka being the one who almost snaps me in two… I can feel them… they can feel me.

Why?

I just didn't want to leave them alone…

I'll make Yuuko explain later, but right now, I'm so happy I could die.

_Yeah, right_... One death is enough.

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**Two: A Wish Worth Granting (Feelings That Crossed the Grave and Rulebreaking) **

"In short, Watanuki is some sort of a spiritual being. A spirit or a low-level fairy…" Yuuko said later that day, blowing smoke from her pipe.

"Somehow, being a fairy suits you, Kimihiro," Doumeki said, looking at the boy who was seated next to him.

Watanuki scowled. "You are such an insufferable idiot!" Watanuki seethed, "Even after I've died and everything you sti-" Doumeki laid a hand over Watanuki's mouth to stop his further rambling.

Watanuki sulked, and quieted. Removing Doumeki's hand and putting it in his lap, he continued to question Yuuko. "Why?"

"I suppose you made a wish for it."

Watanuki frowned as he thought. "I do remember thinking something along the lines of 'I wish I could come back'," he mumbled. "But I thought nothing could bring back the dead."

Yuuko blew a series of smoke circles. "No one truly dies. Everyone reincarnated along a cycle. You, Watanuki, because of your blood would have been reincarnated as a spiritual being anyway. Your wish, was taken as a desire to speed up this reincarnation cycle."

"Who granted it?" Watanuki asked, squeezing Doumeki's hand.

"Most likely I did..."

"And payment?"

Yuuko smiled at Watanuki. "Your time spent in this shop. There is still more to be paid, but a great chunk has already been compensated for; you are required to work only a little longer, Watanuki."

Watanuki smiled. "Thank you. And I'm sorry… "

"You have nothing to thank me for, nor anything to be apologizing over, Watanuki."

Watanuki looked up at Doumeki.

"Neither to me, Kimihiro," had the larger boy mumbled, pulling the newly reawakened Watanuki into a kiss.

Yuuko smirked as she saw the two boys hold each other. Hitsuzen worked in such odd ways, like death bringing two closer.

_But as long as those two children were happy, she would continue to break the rules... Like speeding up the reincarnation process, because children are the future_.


End file.
